How Deep is Your Love?
by Restless Wanderer
Summary: Their love ended because of her wish to forget. Destiny it seems wants them to find each other once more but is the love they shared stronger than any spell? She's in danger & the only one who can save her is her bodyguard and mate. Sess/Kag


**How Deep is Your Love**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Its characters. Rumiko Takahashi does.**

**Their love ended because of her wish to forget. Destiny it seems wants them to find each other once more but is the love they shared stronger than any spell? She's in danger & the only one who can save her is her bodyguard and mate. Sess/Kag  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

He was sitting down in a room decorated with elegant artefacts, pictures and statutes made for the Lords and nobles of the lands. Silken drapes with gold trimmings hung from the ceiling, the floors were made of white marble and the tables and chairs were made from the most expensive wood. Only those worthy were allowed inside.

He scanned the room; merely glancing at the various breeds off youkai's and taiyoukai's in their humanoid forms sitting around him, listening to the latest news, attacks, politics and updates of their territories. How they can sit there and continue on listening to such nonsense was beyond him.

He knew it was his duty as a Lord to be there, however he could not help but let boredom engulf him. He had been here for over four hours and he was restless.

He needed something to preoccupy his mind.

He had been away from his fiery, unpredictable, rebellious, temperamental mate for almost three weeks now and the need for her presence was quite overwhelming.

He missed her scent, her touches, her lips, her unusual food and most of all their arguments. Just the thought of her always made his cold blooded heart skip a beat. The only thing that entertained him during this dull meeting was the thought of her, her antics and all the commotion she had caused in his life.

Of the many years he had lived, he felt like he was living for the sake of living. He would kill and destroy things here and there, become powerful, kill things powerful and then kill some more. Those were all he did in his existence. When he met her, she awoke something within him. She made him feel alive and he cherished every minute of it. He had never felt more contempt and actually wanting more of life.

His golden eyes stared intently at the ring that was positioned on his left finger, thinking and wondering how on earth he, The Lord of the Western Lands, got conned into wearing such an insignificant thing. He was not one to wear jewellery.

Slowly with his clawed fingers, he began to remove the ring and examine it. It was made of pure gold, with a diamond crescent moon imbedded in the middle. He glanced at the engraving at the back, "Till the end of time". Simple yet elegant.

Though he hated it, he had no choice but to wear the horrid piece of junk.

His mate would only agree to his mating traditions, if he had agreed to hers. And it seems hers involved an exchange of rings.

He released a heavy breath, remembering the reason as to why she was not here with him now.

She, the kit and Rin had decided to go to the lake for a swim. Offcourse he could not refuse them of such indulgence, so he let them be and decided to scan the area for any possible threats. When he found none, he returned to where they were, only to find all three floating on the water's surface, unmoving and almost lifeless.

That was the very first time in his many years of existence, his skin drained of colour, fear and this unknown feeling he just could not describe swept over him.

Immediately he ran into the water, uncaring of his clothes and armour getting soaked and scooped all three up in his arms. The sudden movement had them gasping for air and in turn swallowing vast amounts of water in their system.

He remembered throwing them onto the ground in a harsh but gentle manner, in a fit of rage as he watched them cough, in hopes to rid themselves of the water they had consumed.

They were apparently playing a game on who could hold their breath the longest.

In his rage, he punished them by denying them of what they treasured most.

Rin was not to set foot in a flower bed for a week, the kit was not allowed to use any of his fox magic for a moon cycle and as for his mate , he had no choice but to take away her freedom. He would agree that it was a harsh punishment for her but he just could not risk the chance of losing her. Seeing her in the water lifeless, reminded him of just how fragile and short her life was and in any minute, could be taken away.

Offcourse it was in her nature to object, throw various sorts of tantrums and would on occasion escape his castle, however he had no choice but endure it.

Her tantrums and anger he could put up with but the loss of her in his life he could not.

The feelings he felt that day, he never wanted to feel again.

"Then there is the matter of the Shikon No Tama and its protector".

That immediately snapped him out of his musings and his golden orbs focused on the bear taiyoukai standing in the middle of the room, giving him a deathly glare at the mention of his mate.

"Ever since it has been discovered, it has brought nothing but complete and utter chaos and corruption. Many have lost their lives, individuals have been tainted, people live in fear, and both human and youkai's are destroying everything in their paths just to get their filthy hands on it. As long as the sacred jewel exists, no one will be safe".

Without even noticing, he had clenched his fists and unknowingly dug his claws into his skin. Drops of blood began to escape from his hand, landing onto the cold marble surface.

"What is your point?" he asked coldly at the Lord of the Northern Lands.

"We need to destroy the jewel and your mate Sesshoumaru. If not, whoever gets a hold of it can destroy everything in its wake".

The whole room gasped.

Within an instant, Sesshoumaru had the bear taiyoukai pinned to the wall, one hand grasping his neck tightly and the other pointing his sharp claws at his dirty hazel eyes.

"If you so much as look or even lay a single touch on her, this Sesshoumaru will see to it that you will be disposed of instantly". He snarled, eyes flickering red.

"I am merely stating the truth. If you think about it Sesshoumaru, what would it be like when the jewel and its protector are gone?" he spoke hoarsely.

Sesshoumaru was making it difficult for him to speak.

"Tranquillity. Yes there may be a few fights and bloodshed here and there but that is natural. No one has to suffer. It will be doing your mate a favour. She will no longer have to carry the heavy burden of being its protector"

Murmurs could be heard in agreement and from that moment he knew that the entire room was against him.

It was true that the protecting the jewel was quite an inconvenience for him as his mate. It was quite bothersome in fact. But any burden of hers was now his and any threat to her life was a threat to his.

He threw the Northern Lord across the room unafraid of the repercussions he may face and extended his whip. He lashed out at the bear taiyoukai a few times as a warning before stopping.

"The Western lands are off limits. Anyone who so much steps foot or crosses it be it land, sea or air will suffer the death penalty and those foolish enough to touch my mate, This Sesshoumaru will see to it that you suffer a long antagonising and painful death", he seethed.

As he walked towards the door, he heard the wise owl taiyoukai of the East speak.

"She is but a mere woman, a human at that. It is the species that you, yourself despised most. You would destroy your alliances and comradeship with everyone in this room for a meagre human?"

"Hn"

"Why?" The owl asked curiously.

Sesshoumaru continued on ignoring the foolish owl. He will not explain himself to such a lowly being.

"So be it Sesshoumaru, your alliance with all three lands are now obsolete, May the heavens be on your side if a war should happen" The fire taiyoukai of the South spoke, angered at such disrespect. "And may your mate pray for her life".

Sesshoumaru regally walked out the door unafraid but his mood darkened tenfold. He knew that he was being foolish by destroying his alliances with such strong beings but he just could not let any harm come to his mate. He could defeat all three lords but the fight would not be such an easy task. He would come away with some injuries that he was certain. However taking on the elite force of all three lands and three lords? He did not want to know of the possibilities.

It was going to push him to the limit but he will remain the victor.

This was for her. This was how far he was willing to go to show just how much she meant to him.

* * *

The snake youkai dropped down in front of the three travelling companions. Its sharp fangs were bared down and within a few seconds, began releasing its poisonous venom.

"Hand over the Shikon No Tama" he hissed.

The woman with the tied back raven locks couldn't help but roll her mesmerising sapphire eyes at the youkai. It was about the sixth time today that she had to be stopped because of the sacred jewel and each one of them bared their fangs towards her and threatened her life. It was fun and hilarious the first four times, but six? It was just getting plain ridiculous.

She sighed deeply, trying to control her anger.

Didn't they have anything better to do than to annoy her?

It was good practice on her miko powers that much she had to admit, but it's coming to a point where she can only take so much. Day in, day out, someone or something new would always come and demand the blasted thing off her.

Deep down she knew that this was the burden she would have to face being the protector of the Shikon No Tama but one side of her always wished to live a normal life. A carefree life without having to be threatened or attacked or be bothered and have no responsibilities.

She sighed again as she watched the snake youkai slither closer towards her.

_Oh Well _she thought to herself.

This was the life she chose.

She grabbed an arrow from her pack and transferred her miko powers onto it. When it began to glow pink, she placed it onto her bow and shot the offending youkai, purifying it to oblivion.

"Nice shot" Shippou, her adopted kitsune son said in a sarcastic manner.

He was lying down on the grass next to Rin, Sesshoumaru's human ward, watching with their heads resting on hands their hands. A bored expression was plastered on their faces.

"Yeah Kagome, you were great".

Kagome smiled sadly towards them, feeling terrible that their day was being wasted on these useless fights.

She knew that they were growing tired of having to stop all the time just to kill things that threatened her. Heck she definitely was. She could just imagine how they felt. They would never say a word to her about it but she could just see it in their eyes and body language.

Seeing them lying down in front of her confirmed everything.

Even when the jewel was complete it still had such an effect in her life, theirs and many others now that she thought about it. As long as the Shikon No Tama exists, there will never be peace in the world and she will never be able to lead her life.

_There has got to be a way to end this. _She thought and immediately she pushed in the back of her mind, deciding to contemplate on it later.

This was their free time and she promised the kids a nice steaming bath.

"Okay you two get up so we hurry off to the hot springs and hopefully we arrive home before it gets dark". She rushed.

The two children, who have now reached their adolescent stage, quickly got up onto their feet and followed her.

"You know Sesshoumaru will have a fit once he finds out that you've snuck out of the castle again and fighting dangerous beings at that" Shippou told her in a tone that tried to replicate the dog taiyoukai.

Kagome gave a small chuckle.

"I'm not afraid of him Shippou. He can say or do whatever he wants. It's not like I would listen anyways".

He smiled and nodded, knowing his mother all too well.

"Plus don't you think it's a bit harsh to take away my freedom just because of a silly game?"

Rin giggled at the reminder.

"He thought we were dead and it seems that it frightened him. He's only doing it out of love".

"Love? Right..." Kagome replied sarcastically.

Rin just shook her head and continued on skipping behind her, gathering a few stray flowers here and there.

...

After an hour or so and with no one stopping them for a fight, they finally reached their destination.

Shippou and Rin quickly ran off, removed their clothes, only to reveal their bathing suits that were given to them as gifts.

Offcourse Kagome knew that they were no longer kids and that they couldn't bathe together without any clothes on, so she went back into her time and bought bathing suits for all of them.

She bought green board shorts for Shippou, a red one piece boy legged bathing suit with flowers for Rin and herself, a white monokini that crossed over her stomach, revealing her perfectly well shaped body. Lately she had been feeling that she was slowly getting fat so she wore this suit just to make herself feel sexy.

She looked around the area to make sure it was safe to take a bath. When she couldn't find any threats she removed her kimono and slowly dipped the tip of her toes onto the surface of the water to test the temperature. Once she was satisfied she sank her aching body into the water and began to relax, leaning her head back against a rock.

The bathing suits were also used as a safety precaution in case there were perverts out there who decided they wanted to watch a show.

She smiled as she watched the kids sit down and relax by the other hot spring beside hers.

It looked like they needed pampering just as much as her.

_This is the life..._ she thought as she started to drift off to sleep. The day's events were taking a toll on her a lot more than it usually would.

* * *

"Kagome" Shippou yelled.

_Ten more minutes mama._

"Kagome!"

_Go away..._

"Kagome!"

Her eyes immediately shot open at the sound of Shippou's panicked voice.

Now wide awake and alert, Kagome looked at her surroundings. She found him and Rin standing near a tree, their weapons placed in a defensive position ready for an attack.

"Look out behind you" he yelled.

All of a sudden she felt someone breathing onto her neck. Willing herself to turn around, she found herself face to face with a bug eyed lizard youkai in its humanoid form. Its forked tongue was touching the side of her ear lobe.

"Ahhhh" she screamed and quickly jumped out of the water and ran in front of Shippou and Rin to protect them. She mentally cursed herself for letting her guard down and wondered why she didn't sense the youkai coming like she normally could in her sleep.

She looked around and found five more of them around, all of which were staring at her body hungrily like a piece of meat.

"Wench, hand over the..."

"Jewel?" Kagome finished irritated that once more her day was being ruined by someone trying to threaten her and take the jewel.

"Humans are smart after all" It said smugly.

Kagome sighed... "You know this the whole human thing is getting really old and ridiculous. Isn't there any other comebacks you people can throw at me other than my race or gender?"

They all just kept ogling at her, licking their lips every now and then.

Kagome reached for Shippou's sword from behind.

"If you really want it then fight me", she spoke and readied herself.

The group of youkai merely laughed at her before they all dashed off towards her, faster than she had expected. Just as she was about swing her sword to fight, a white blur passed by and the next thing she knew they were all on the floor disfigured, and dead.

Kagome looked up to a seething dog taiyoukai, looking at her with his deadly crimson eyes.

_Uh-Oh _she thought as she continued to eye him. She knew that if his eyes were red, it meant he was in a very foul mood.

"Look Sesshoumaru, before you get all worked up..." But before Kagome finished Sesshoumaru began to growl towards her.

She shuddered under his gaze.

"You have deliberately disobeyed this Sesshoumaru again" he spoke in the harshest tone he could muster. He was not in a good mood after the meeting and seeing her here once more wearing such revealing clothes just worsened it.

"I was only going for a bath. I don't see what's so wrong with that".

"There are baths inside the privacy of our castle!" he said in a feral voice. "Your human brain is dissipating".

Her anger began to rise. _Him too with the human thing?_ _How Dare He? _She thought. He knew that being human was a sensitive topic when it came to their relationship.

"I needed some fresh air Jerk! You can't honestly think you can keep me locked up in the castle while you go around doing who knows what?"

He glared dangerously towards her.

"It is none of your business what this Sesshoumaru does. You will know only what you need to know". He told her coldly.

She gave him a glare equal to his.

"How is it none of my business? We are mates for crying out loud! We are supposed to tell each other everything and do things together!"

He merely kept his glare towards her.

"You know what? I give up. Why do I even bother? Maybe if I was a youkai or even Kagura you would probably treat me differently."

He's fangs elongated upon hearing the name of the wind sorceress. He would never in his right frame of mind be associated with such an abomination. Her continuing to assume he was romantically involved with the wench was definitely angering him more and before he knew it, he just snapped.

"Put your garments on now!" he boomed at their state of dress, his crimson eyes never leaving hers.

Without any argument, Shippou and Rin quickly put on their clothes. It was bad enough that they were in such attire, but his mate in hers? No one was to see her in this state of dress or gaze at her luscious curves expect for him. They were reserved for him and him only.

Anyone who thinks otherwise will see their end.

He grabbed her by the arms and held her towards him a little too forcefully.

She squirmed as his claws dug into her arms and blood began to seep out.

Immediately his eyes turned back to the emotionless golden colour after the scent of her blood reached his nose.

"Wash off that wretched scent on your ears". He spoke turning head away slightly ashamed of letting his anger get the best of him.

Kagome ignored him, put her clothes on and ran back to the castle with tears in her eyes.

* * *

In the castle she laid down on her bed staring up into the ceiling, her eyes swollen from all the crying she did.

Rin and Shippou had gone to sleep a few hours ago and she and Sesshoumaru still hadn't spoken to each other since they arrived. She figured that once he returned from his study, she was definitely going to cop an earful.

She sighed and curled herself into a foetal position, wiping the stray tears away. She breathed in and exhaled deeply; trying to forget what happened today but her emotions were getting the best of her.

She was both physically and mentally exhausted.

Sesshoumaru's constant reminder that she was human was really starting to take its toll. Yeah she knew she was one and yeah she knew that they were the lesser being, but if he really kept going on about how worthless they are, then why did he end up with one?

What was the real purpose of them being together? Did he even care for her at all?

She was starting to think that the only reason Sesshoumaru mated her was for her power and his benefit.

More tears began to fall at the thought.

Maybe they just weren't meant for each other and maybe she just wasn't meant to be happy.

A shiny object shone from the corner of her eye. She averted her attention towards it, momentarily forgetting about her relationship woes.

The completed Shikon No Tama on her night stand began to glow ever so slightly and floated towards her as if it was sensing her mood.

It thought that she wanted to make a wish.

"What should I do with you" she said in a low whisper. "If I make a wish now everything will end. I'm not too sure if I'm ready for that yet".

People would think she lost her mind if they saw her talking to the jewel. Even she thought herself as crazy.

It glowed once more as if telling her to make her wish.

"Sorry but I don't have a wish" she said placing it back on the stand and going back to the bed.

What would she wish for anyway?

Her mind remained blank. One thing she did know was that Sesshoumaru was constantly reminding her of her short and pitiful human lifespan. He wanted her to extend her life and Rin's to match his. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it. Being human brought more of an appeal than living infinitely.

She loved the way humans got sick, the way they get hurt, the range of emotions they feel, growing old with someone and getting grey hairs and wrinkles with them as time passed and she definitely loved it when she knew that she would die. She didn't like the thought of watching her family's life pass her by. She wouldn't be able to cope.

It was a surprise that Rin had also thought the same.

Too deep into her thoughts, strong arms wrapped around her curved frame and held her closer to his well built body in a loving yet protective manner.

"Your guard is down and your concentration is broken. One could have slit your throat within an instant".

His voice never failed to send her shivers up the spine.

Pretending she was unfazed by him, she turned around to give him glare. Their faces were only inches away from each other.

"What kind of sorry is that? You take away my freedom, you come back after three weeks acting like an asshole, you keep reminding me that I'm never good enough for you, you go all crazy on me not too long ago and all you say is 'One could have slit your throat'?"

He could sense her distress and it seems she was quite more emotional than usual.

Could it be?

She sat up and continued on her ranting.

All his anger, all the exhaustion he felt, all the tension and stress that was weighing him down immediately vanished as he gazed at her angelic in the moonlight

He was hardly listening to a single word she said whilst she continued to voice her opinions about his behaviour. He was too preoccupied admiring her beauty.

The expressions she makes on her face whenever she grew angry made him want to just caress her, the way her kimono slid to the side just enough to reveal her collarbone always made him want to touch her smooth delicate skin and the way her rosy lips moved to tease him, made him want to taste them and stop her from her ranting.

His gaze then shifted to her eyes.

Just one look into her lively sapphire eyes, though they were slightly red from her crying, made him weak in the knees. It never ceases to amaze him just how much they lit up with such passion and intensity whenever she felt so strongly about something. They were what won him over from the very beginning.

Every time he looked towards her, he could not help but be reminded just how fortunate he was to receive her and her affections. Having the will power to stand up to a vile creature such as him and change the rhythmic beat of his cold distant heart, goes a long way.

He will do everything in his will power to make sure she would not regret choosing him as her mate, no matter how much he was still displeased at her and her antics.

"How much do I mean to you?" she finished slightly panting, continuing to give him an angry look. "Do you even lov..."

He couldn't stand just watching her any longer. The temptation to have her then and there was just too powerful. Like a lion to his prey, he pounced on her, trapping her underneath him and silencing her in the process.

"Get off me!" she cried trying to fight him off. She was slamming her tiny hands against his chest as hard as she could.

He gave her a smirk as he nipped her mating mark with his fangs.

He will show her just how much she meant to him in a night full of passion, lust and love.


End file.
